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Why Art is Good for Kids!

Did you love art when you were at school? In this article we look at why art is SO important for children (and adults too)!

In March 2017 the BBC reported that due to funding issues, some head teachers are having to cut A Level art courses. There are fears that schools will have to axe GCSE Art too.

We spoke to teacher Ruth Cartwright who had strong opinions on the subject – Why is Art Good For Kids?

Ruth was made redundant from her role as a design technology and art teacher three years ago. She told us: “The school decided to focus more on the ‘academic’ subjects. For me this is very short sighted of the school, yet it appears to be a growing trend across the country.”

She added: “Pupils do not fit into boxes and not all pupils work in the same way.”

With the help of Ruth and our fantastic Facebook and Twitter friends we’ve come up with a list of five reasons . . .

She said: “I enjoyed the chance to be creative and found it relaxing amongst other subjects throughout the day that I found stressful.”

2. It teaches children to be practical

Ruth says: “Creative subjects allow all pupils to think differently and learn to work with their hands.”

3. Art can even help academically gifted children

According to Ruth even academically gifted children that excel at the traditional subjects can benefit from art lessons. She told us: “Art teaches you to look at the world differently, think laterally, look at materials and explore possibilities.”

4. It allows students to have freedom!

Sam Emmens, who studied GCSE art told our blogger that he thinks that it is a fantastic subject for kids as it is one of the only times in your school life where you have ‘complete freedom to create what you want’.

5. It is a great background if they are looking for a creative career!